Melodeon



'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LA FAYET'IE LOUIS, OF OSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MELODEON.

Speccaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 16,094, dated November 18, 1856; Ressued February 26, 1867, No. 2,498.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, La FAYE'rrE Louis, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Melodeons, and that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements, by which my invention may be distinguished from others of a similar class, together wit-h such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent my improvements.

Figure l is a plan o-r top view of a portion of a melodeon with my improvements ap plied thereto. Fig. 2 is a central transverse vertical section of the same, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

The present invention consists in applying to the melodeon a long valve, or two valves, partially covering the reeds, which are actuated in such a manner by devices to be hereinafter described that a sound is produced similar to the tremolo in the human voice, and this result, which has long been a disideratum in the construction of melodeons, is so effected that the parts are always in readiness, for instantaneously producing the tremolo when desired, while it can be confined at will to the treble part of t-he reeds, or produced in both treble and bass at the same time.

a a in the drawings represent the outside case of a melodeon.

b b is the swell ordinarily employed.

c c--CZ ci are two long valves, one valve c c being placed over the treble reeds, and the other al (Z over'the bass reeds. The valves turn on hinges e, e. In order to produce the tremolo a vibratory movement is given to the treble valve c c or to both valves at once, whereby the force of the air passing downward through the reeds is varied, or an agitation in the current produced, as follows. Within a hollow box f f av fan wheel g g is placed, to one journal of which is attached a crank h, to which is secured a cord z' that passes through the swell b b, and is fastened to the treble valve c o. The boX f f communicates by means of a spout 7c 7c with the bellows of the melodeon. Opposite to the spout 7a 7c an aperture Z is formed in the box f A current of air passes through this aperture into the box 7, and down through the spout 7c 7c to the bellows, the lforce of the air giving a continuous rotary motion to the fan whels g g, thereby turning the crank z and giving a vibratory movemnt to the treble valve c c through the cord 2'. A lip m, Fig. 3, on the end of the treble valve fits against a corresponding shoulder on the end of the bass valve (Z (Z, whereby both the treble and bass valves can be operated by the motion of the treble valve.

n. n-0 0 are sliding sto-ps by the use of which the treble valve can be operated alone or at the same time with the bass valve. Thesestops are constructed so as to slide back and forth by means of slots p p and screws Q g, &c.

To the treble sliding stop a n is attached a cord r that passes through the swell b and is fastened to the treble valve c c. By this arrangement it will be seen that by moving the sliding stop n n in one direction the treble valve, and consequently the bass valve which rests upon the lips of the same, will be raised so high as to receive no motion from the crank L and its cord and no tremolo will be produced. The treble tremolo valve can be operated independently of the bass valve by moving the sliding stop 0 o so as to raise the bass valve (Z (Z through the cord s clear of the treble valve, as shown in Fig. 3, when the tremolowill be produced in the treble notes alone.

t is a button or damper attached to the sliding stop n n which when the tremolo valves are not in motion partially closes the aperture Z in the bo-X f f and diminishes the force of the current passing through the same, leaving suiiicient force only to turn the wheel g g, which does not require so much power to revolve it as when it. has to actuate the tremolo valves. By thus keeping the fan wheel g g constantly revolving the effect of the tremolo can be instantaneously produced by simply moving either of the sliding stops in the proper direction.

Having thus described my improvements I shall state my claims as follows:

Ihat I claim as my invent-ion and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent is 1. The use of a long valve or valves placed over the reeds and under the swell and vi- 7\\ s brated in such a manner by any proper aror their equivalents made to revolve by a rangement of mechanical devices, as to break current of air passing through the box y f l0 and vary the Jforce of the air passing through to the bellows as described. the reeds thereby producing a sound similar Y 5 to the tremolo in the human voice. LA FAYETTE LOUIS 2. I claim actuating the tremolo valves Vitnesses: so as to impart to them a Vibratory move- JOSEPH GAVETT, ment, by means of the fan Wheel and crank SAMUEL N. PIPER.

[FIRST PRINTED 1912.] 1 

